Tampabay.com
JULY 09, 2009

Jeb Bush hearts Rick Baker; says Baker is a future GOP leader in Esquire interview

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Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush lists Mayor Rick Baker as a future leader of the Republican Party in a new Esquire interview.  From the interview:

Who are the leaders of the Republican party?
I think you need to put it in the proper context. Barack Obama was a state senator five years ago. So the next generation of leaders are going to be people we probably don't even know. I don't think we need to worry about that quite yet. If there's going to be a resurgence of the Republican party or the conservative movement, I think it's going to require some patience and some humility — less personal ambition and more advocacy of ideas and how they relate to people.

[That said, Bush reels off a list anyway.] Newt is fantastic. He's an idea generator. [Jeb says he e-mails him.] The guy has a twenty-first-century mind. [He mentions "the conservative mayor of St. Petersburg, Rick Baker." Also, Mitch Daniels, governor of Indiana.] I love Bobby Jindal. He's the real deal. [Not on list: Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee.]

Read the entire interview here.

Aaron Sharockman, Times staff writer

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